Truck construction



K. F. NYSTROM.

TRUCK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED IuIY 12.1920.

Patented Jan. 3l, 1922.

/far/ E /Vysfram l. A"rune ne,

Patented nl" Si,

duplication died la, wat. Serial lilo. 395,836.,

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that l, Kani. F. Nrsrnon acitizen of the Dominion of Canada, and resident of the city of Montreal,in the Prov- 1ince of Quebec and Dominion oi' Canada, nave lnventedcertain new vand useful lmprovements in Truck Construction, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and enact description This invention relatesto improvements in car truck construction and more particularly toimprovements in the pedestals forming part of the truck The object ofthe invention is to provide a truck in which the equalizers will besupported in case ofbreakage and held against dropping onto the track Afurther object is to provide an improved bottom connection for thevpedestals.

The equalizers in use, in passenger car or pedestal type trucks, are soformed that their point oi greatest weakness is at the upper bend wherethey overliethe journal boxes and it frequently happens that they breakat this point, with the result that the bar drops. l/ Vhile theequalizer bars are positioned some distance outside the rails and shouldtheoretically fall clear of the rails, it nevertheless sometimes happensthat a broken equalizer will fall across a rail and cause derailment ofone or more trucks. It will thus be seen that the constructionordinarily used is a constant menace. There is nothingl in theconstruction of any part of the truck whichv will support the equalizerand hold the same against dropping out of the truck in case of breakage.Another source of accident is the dropping of pedestal tie-bars.Derailment from this source is not probable and the truck is stillcapable of running but the jaws of the pedestal are subjected toundesirable stress which frequently results in breakage of a pedestal.

According' truck pedestals are provided with means for gripping thebroken end oan equalizer and. holding the same, so that it will not dropout of the truck. At the same time the pedestals are soformed that thetie-bars cannot drop out of the pedestals.

ln the drawingswhich illustrate the inventiong- Fig. l is asideelevation of a truck pedestal artly in section.

1g. 2 ie a side elevation of the pedestal.

to the present invention, the-v liig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3,Figure 1. iF ig. a is a fragmentary section illustrating a modication.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 1ngs,.1l designates the outerplate and 12 the lnner plate of a truck pedestal, eac-h formed 1nsubstantially inverted lll-shape and connected by webs 13 to form thejaws 1tof the edestal.' 'lhe webs 13 have aperturesl or the passage ofequalizers 16. This' is the ordinary construction and varies slightly indetail according to the particular type of truck. The weak point of theequalizer is at the llpper bend, as has been previously stated, andfracture when it occurs is usually at about the line`17. rlhe obviousresult 1s, that the equalizer looses its support on the journal box andthe enddraws out from between the inner and outer plates and falls outof the truck.

According to this invention, a supple- Inentary web 18 is providedbetween the outer and inner plates and is disposed substantially inparallelism with the lower edge surface or the equalizer, i. e. in aninclined plane. rlhis web forms a table or support below the equalizerof such width that the equalizer cannot slip ofi the edge.

The equalizer is much narrower at the end than toward the center inorder that it may be entered into the pedestal without providing anunduly deep pedestal. This reduction of width is, to a certain extent,compensated for by simultaneously increasing the thickness of the bar asis well known and as is illustrated in Figure 2. Advantage is taken ofthis increase in thickness. The adjacent surfaces of the outer and innerplates are provided with ribs 19 which a proach each other toward thetable 18 and crm a tapering notch 'through which the equalizer passes.

Normally, the equalizer is supported by the journal box some distanceabove the table 18 and suiiciently spaced from the ribs 19 to permit thenecessary movement of the equalizer. In the event of fracture at orabout the line 17 the equalizer, being deprived of the support of thejournal box, drops toward the table and thereby enters the narrow spacebetween the lower ends of the ribs 19. At the same time the equalizertends to slide down, and this sliding movement brings @rtions ofincreased thickness l between the ribs 19. After very slight movementthe end of the equalizer is wedged tightly between the ribs 19 and issupported either directly upon the table 18 or indirectly through theribs 19. Obviously, this wedging action of the equalizer tends to forcethe outer and inner pedestal plates apart. The table 18 connects theplates close to the application of the separating force and holds thesame rigid, so that they are not damaged by the wedging action of thebroken equalizer.

It is customary, in truck pedestal construction, to connect the lowerends of the pedestal jaws by a tie-bar for the purpose of making thejaws mutually supporting and also to retain the journal boxes. Thesetie-bars are ordinarily mere metal straps passing under the ends of thejaws and connected thereto by bolts and nuts. It frequently happens thatone o1` more ofthe nuts holding a tie-bar becomes loosened by vibrationand drops, thus allowing the tiebar to drop away froml the pedestal jawand depriving the jaw of support.

According `to this invention the pedestal jaws are extended downwardly ashort dis tance and provided with horizontally disposed apertures orslots 20, lthrough which the tie-bars 21 extend. In the drawings thereis illustrated a short tie-bar serving only a single pedestal. It isobvious, however, that a longer bar connecting the two or more pedestalsmay be used or that short bars as shown may be connected together in anysuitable manner-if it is desired to brace the whole truck. Such anarrangement is immaterial to the present invention. Whatever the form ofthe tie-bar, it is preferably provided with a downturned lug orprojection 22 designed to engage one jaw of the pedestal. The oppositeend is apertured for the passage of the usual bolt or pin 23. It will bereadily seen that, according to this invention, the tie-bar is supportedby the pedestal itself and that the in or bolt 23 serves merely to holdthe tiear against longitudinal movement. The bolt 23 may be providedwith a nut or cotter `pin but this is merely for the purpose of holdingthe tie-bar against vibration, as the bolt will be held in place by theforce of gravity and will therefore maintain operattive engagement withthe tie-bar. The projection 22 of the tie-bar may replace one of thebolts 23 ordinarily used in each pedestal but this arrangement mayobviously be modified by the form of tie-bar used. The arrangement shownholds the pedestal jaws against separating but does not transmit foncein both directions between the` jaws. It maytherefore be preferred touse a bolt or pin 23 in each jaw. Either of the pin arrangements willserve to transmit the strain or dra of a broken equalizer from onepedestal Jaw to the other, so that both a broken equalizer. The absolutereliability of the connection between the pedestal'jaws gives theassurance that this mutual support4 will be always available in theevent of equalizer failure;

Obviously the pedestal should be exactly the same on both sides, so thatit may be used in any `position on a truck. To this .end each jaw isprovided with a table 18,

the rib 19 and bolt holes 24. An aperture 25 may be providedin the table18 for the introduction of the pin or bolt 23 but if al tenatedisposition of the table in a different design of pedestal admits of theomission of to have thev solid table without opening, as shown in Figure4. In this figure an opening 26 is provided in the web 13 giving accesstoV the bolt hole 24.

Having thus described my invention, whatv I claim is 1. In truckconstruction, a pedestal including outer and inner plates and a webconnected between the plates in position to support the end of a brokenequalizer.

2. In truck construction, a pedestal including spaced side vportions andan inclined web connected between said side portions in position tosupport the end of a broken equalizer.

3. In truck construction, a pedestal including outer and inner platesand converg ing ribs on the adjacent surfaces of .said plates formingjaws adapted to grip the dropped end of a broken equalizer.

4. In truck construction, a pedestal in' cluding outer and inner platesand ribs on the adjacent surfaces of said plates positioned to benormally out of engagement with an operative equalizer but to receivevand wedge'between them the fallen end of a broken equalizer.

5. In combination with a device according-y to claim 3, a supplementaryrib connecting the outer and inner pedestal plates and rigidlysupporting the same adjacent said ribs.

6. In car truck construction, a pedestal, andr means therein to a brokenequalizer.

7. In car truck construction a pedestal, means therein to support thefallen end of a broken equalizer, and means to gri the equalizer andhold the same against siding out of engagement with said support.

8. In truck construction, the combination grip the fallen end of i lwith a pedestal andan equalizer increasing v.

in thickness toward its ends, of jaws in the pedestal disposed below thenormal, ualizer .position and embracing said e ua 'zer at a point wherethe thickness thereo is less than the maximum, -said jaws being spacedapart a distance less than the maximum thickness of the equalizer.

9: In combination with a device accordingl 80 this opening 25, it isobviously preferred to claim 8, a web in the pedestal su porting saidribs against separation by we ging actionof the equalizer.

10. In combination with a device according to claim 8, a web in thepedestal positioned to form a direct support for a fallen equalizer.

11. In track construction, a pedestal, and means in each jaw thereof togrip and support a broken equalizer, and a connection between thepedestal jaws arranged to distribute between the pedestal jaws theabnormal stresses incident to equalizer break- 12. ln truckconstruction, a pedestal apertured adjacent the lower ends of its jawsand provided with a bore'intersecting one of .the pedestal and throughthe tie bar to hold the latter against longitudinal movement in theopposite direction, said member being entirely relieved of the weight ofthe bar by the walls of the apertures through which the bar extends..

1n witness whereof,

l have hereunto set my hand.

KARL F. NYSTROM.

